Edinburgh meeting calls for strengthening of Scottish Department to
support policy-making
Pharmacists in Scotland have told the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Secretary and Registrar, Ann Lewis, that the Society's Scottish Department needs an enhanced infrastructure to support limited policy making powers on Scottish issues.
At a consultation meeting held in Edinburgh on 3 June, Miss Lewis was
also told that a Scottish practice research unit would ensure engagement “at
the front line” of health care delivery. Pharmacists also criticised
the Society for not being proactive enough in making its voice heard
on matters of general health care, such as the controversy over measles,
mumps and rubella vaccine.
The Edinburgh meeting — a joint meeting of the Society’s
Edinburgh and Lothians, Fife, Forth Valley and Scottish Borders branches — was
the first of a number of consultations being held as part of the Society’s
broad review of its function, structure and ways of working to ensure
that it can meet the needs of devolution. The review
was announced at
the Council’s February meeting (PJ, 14 February, p197).
The meeting heard Miss Lewis explain that the new arrangements would
have to be flexible enough to accommodate not only the special requirements
of Scotland and Wales but also the possible regionalisation of England.
She emphasised that the consultation process would include a wide range
of stakeholders and other bodies (including the medical royal colleges)
as well as the profession itself.
Michelle Savage listens as Ann Lewis addresses the meeting |
Miss Lewis was accompanied by Michelle Savage, the Society’s
recently appointed devolution framework project manager. Ms Savage
provided support
for the steering group set up by the Council to conduct the devolution
review. Led by Lord Fraser of Carmyllie (who is also chairman of the
Statutory Committee), the steering group includes Miss Lewis, the current
chairmen and vice-chairmen of the Society’s Scottish Department
and Welsh Executive, members of Council and a constitutional specialist
with expertise in devolution.
Issues being covered in the review include: a framework for the devolution
of functions within a Britain-wide organisation; requirements for governance
and accountability; the scope, role of and the structures and processes
for policy-making; and the structure and function of the Scottish Department
and Welsh Executive and their relationships with the Council and the
directorates.
The group is expected to complete its report before the end of the year.
The report will form part of the Society’s strategy and business
planning programme.
|
The
Pharmaceutical Journal